BLACKBLACK FASHIONFASHION DESIGNERSDESIGNERS ANDAND BRANDSBRANDS

Anifa Mvuemba, Google Images & Teen Vogue

Aurora James, Google Images

B Y : M I L L A N G U Y E N

With the speed of these rapid times, comes change. Of course, there ' s a lot of work to be done, from social movements to flaws in the system, to working on ourselves as members of a global society. But while times, people, and trends change, that doesn 't mean we have to stop highlighting the trailblazers who did it first. The ones who took that first leap even if they weren 't praised or believed right away. The ones who let their creativity and their intuition take off from ground zero without needing to prove anything to anyone. I mean, that' s exactly what fashion is. Fashion is always changing. It is self-expression and it can be used in a powerful way to sway the industry off of its feet.

Here, I will be covering some of the fashion industry ' s Black designers and small brand creators who encompass their own style, artistry, and talent.

Romeo Hunte:

Romeo Hunte is a Black fashion designer who started his beginnings in fashion at a very young age He attended the Fashion Institute of Technology as a student and then launched his own brand. Afterwards, other fashion retailers began to recognize his denim blazers and jackets once they went viral online. Soon after, he was known for styling Zendaya, Beyoncé, NBA players as well as other celebrity clients. He is most known for his deconstruction fabric techniques. https://www.romeohunte.com/pages/about

Aurora James:

Aurora James is the creative director and founder of her brand Brother Vellies. Brother Vellies is a brand thats all about identity and cultural roots. Through her education, James majored in fashion, journalism, and fashion television. She draws her inspirations from traveling and her mom ' s collected souvenirs.

In her biography, she says, ""I founded Brother Vellies in January 2013 with the goal of preserving the shoemaking craft in Africa and creating new jobs for the artisans in our workshops. I launched the first official collection, Spring 2014, working with shoemakers in South Africa. Not long after we expanded to working in Kenya and Morocco, to continue producing authentic, modern-day desert boots, shoes, slippers and sandals. " http://www.aurorajames.com/

Anifa Mvuemba:

Fashion designer, Anifa Mvuemba, has received frenzied coverage on her collection, "Pink Label Congo " where she used 3-D technologies to render animations of her pieces. This caused people to discuss the virtual future of the fashion industry. To her, representing her home (Democratic Republic of Congo) is essential to her brand. She sported draped pieces and textured tops, along with a fresh natureinspired color palette https://www.thecut.com/2020/09/hanifadesigner-anifa-mvuemba-on-her-pink-label-congoshow.html

Andrea Iyamah:

Andrea Iyamah is a Nigerian fashion designer. Her brand encompasses the essence of bold colors, passion, and contemporary fashion. She is most known for her artistic-like swimwear that accents the female body, She draws from elements of water, fire, air, and earth, Black icons such as Ciara, former first lady Michelle Obama, and more have sported her designs. She bases her brand in Toronto, Canada, New York City, and Los Angeles, California. https://www.andreaiyamah.com/pages/aboutandrea-iyamah

Dapper Dan of Harlem:

Dapper Dan is an American fashion designer who bases his brand in Harlem, New York city. Dapper Dan had close relations with fashion brand, Gucci and later developed his own brand as Dapper Dan from Harlem. In the hip/hop and R&B world, many of clients included rappers/ artists such as Jay Z, Saltn-Peppa, and more. He is known for techniques such as leather screen-printing Before he got his atelier in 2018, his first store opened in the 1980s where he struggled with racist remarks, counterfeiting raids, and more. After his hard-earned efforts and recognition of Gucci, his brand became one of the most well known in street wear and Harlem culture. https://dapperdanofharlem.com/

Please continue to support Black-owned businesses and fashion brands. This resource lists several ways to find/ support Black-owned brands/ businesses. Social media can also be utilized by searching hashtags such as #blackbussinesses or

#blackowned: https://www.yesmagazine.org/socialjustice/2020/08/10/find-black-owned-businesses/

Andrea Imayah swimwear, Andrea Imayah & Google Images

Anifa Mvuemba, virtual show, Google Images